November 21, 2012 08:07 PM CSTNovember 21, 2012 08:10 PM CSTMoore: Cowboys' Dez Bryant demonstrating signs of maturation
on and off the field

Moore: Cowboys' Dez Bryant demonstrating signs of maturation on and off the field

4/11

AP

RB Alfred Morris: Griffin isn't the only rookie having a great season for the Redskins' offense. A sixth round pick out of Florida Atlantic, Morris has been a pleasant surprise after emerging as the starting back during the preseason. Morris is the team's lead back and gets a load of carries. He isn't the flashiest back in the world but Morris is a workhorse and will punish defenders as the game wears on. The rookie has rushed for 1,322 yards and nine touchdowns. In terms of yards, he ranks behind just Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch.

Some will credit maturity. Others will point to the discipline and structure
now found in Dez Bryant’s life.

Does it really matter? What matters is the Cowboys receiver has found a
measure of peace that has been absent in his life. In a rare reflective moment,
Bryant opened up about his professional and personal life leading into
Thursday’s game against Washington.

“I’ve got real responsibilities I feel like I’m handling the right way,”
Bryant said. “I’m enjoying my life the way I should have been enjoying it a long
time ago.”

Since Bryant is four days removed from his most productive day with the
Cowboys, let’s start with the professional.

With 57 receptions, the young receiver is just seven receptions shy of a new
career high. A receiver who managed just one, 100-yard game in the first two
years of his NFL career has three over the last seven games and another where he
finished with 95 yards.

“I know what I want in my life,” said Bryant, who leads all Cowboys receivers
with 735 yards. “I feel like I deserve to be here playing football, doing what I
love.

“Everything that I’ve been through and experienced is all behind me. I
[couldn’t] care less about it. I love football. That’s my main goal.”

Bryant hears praise that he’s beginning to fulfill his immense potential. He
tries not to pay attention because he doesn’t want it to impact his approach. To
borrow words repeatedly used by coach Jason Garrett, he wants to keep grinding
and working hard. He vows not to get a big head because, “I don’t buy into none
of it.”

Bryant has averaged more than six receptions for 81.5 yards over these last
seven games. Can the Cowboys trust him enough to ride him over the final six
games of the regular season?

Some thought Bryant would balk at the structure and guidelines the club put
in place for him entering this season. Nothing could be further from the
truth.

Bryant knows he’s impulsive. He respects authority. He craves a discipline
that too often has been missing in his life. He appreciates what the Cowboys
have done.

“I feel like I respond well to that situation,” Bryant said. “It shows that I
have people that care. I feel like I went about it the right way.”

Not everyone would look at it that way.

“I don’t want to make excuses,” Bryant said. “But people brought up
differently, see different things, been in different things, having two parents,
having no parents.”

“I just feel like it’s been a learning process for me my whole life.”

Bryant was involved in an altercation over the summer with his mother,
Angela, that resulted in Class A misdemeanor charge of domestic violence. A
conditional dismissal was reached last week.

“Let me tell you something,” Bryant said. “My relationship with my mom is
great. Even after the fact it’s great. I don’t want to get into it much, but
when it happened — in our eyes — it was overblown.

“I love my mom. My mom loves me. Everything is great between us.”

Bryant also mentioned his two sons, Zayne, who is 5, and Dez Jr., who is
2.

“I’ve got two babies, and that’s the only thing that matters,” Bryant said.
“Me playing this game that I love, making sure that I’m doing everything I need
to be doing here, satisfying everybody the way that I want them to be and
enjoying my life.”

Catch David Moore on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310) three days a week
with The Musers (Mon-Wed-Fri) at 9:35 a.m. and The Hardline (Tue-Wed-Fri) at
3:50 p.m. and twice a week (Wed-Fri) with BaD radio during the regular
season.

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